


Payment in kindness

by Multifandom_damnation



Series: What is death to a man who fears no God? [4]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Brotherly Love, Cisco Ramon Defense Squad, Cloud Watching, Family Secrets, Gen, Heart-to-Heart, Protectiveness, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-19 02:47:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17593169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multifandom_damnation/pseuds/Multifandom_damnation
Summary: Cisco's brothers find out in the worst way possible that he doesn't get paid for his work at S.T.A.R Labs and Armando decides to take it into his own hands to do something about it.“Paco tells me you’re not paying him,” Armando said, voice even but Cisco knew that exact tone of voice was used on Los Lobos members who strayed out of line and knew just how scary to be on the receiving end of that stare. “I don’t think that’s fair, especially considering all the work he does for you.”





	Payment in kindness

**Author's Note:**

> It's about time someone brought this up! Cisco's only job is S.T.A.R Lab's unlike everyone else and he doesn't even get paid for it! And besides, I agree. Someone needed to stand up to Barry and Armando was defiantly the one to do it.

They were lying down on the roof of S.T.A.R Labs, a large round beach towel that Cisco had dug out from the very recesses of his cupboard under their backs and the sun glinting off of their sunglasses as they watched the clouds pass by. The sound of distant car horns and the chirping of loud birds flying overhead was the only things to disturb their silence.

“You’ve been holding out on us, _hermano_.” Armando laughed and crossed his arms under his head. “If this was my place I’d be up here every day.”

Cisco chuckled and rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses. “I know, that’s why I haven’t brought you up here until now.”

Snoring, Dante rolled over onto his side and placed his phone on the ground beside him. “You do good work here, Cisco. You’ve helped a lot of people in a lot of different ways. Mum and dad would be proud of you as well. Are you sure you don’t want to tell them?”

The topic of conversation had come up a lot in the past few weeks, each time with Cisco vehemently refusing and Armando shooting confused looks at his brothers. “Absolutely not.” Cisco shook his head. “No way.”

“I don’t understand.” Armando sat up with his hands face down on the floor. “Why won’t you tell them? They won’t love you any less.”

“You've been gone a long time Armando.” Cisco sighed. “Everything is different now. You don’t know what they’re like.”

Scoffing, Armando sat up completely and crossed his legs, peering down at his brothers. “Oh, come on. You’re over-reacting. They can’t be that bad.” Cisco grit his teeth and resisted the urge to argue, to point out every single thing their parents had done once Armando had died, but he held his tongue as his brother spoke. “Besides, they can’t be too mad. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

Sighing through his nose, Cisco rubbed the space between his eyebrows and closed his eyes. “Mando, I love you, but you haven’t been around all that recently. I don’t think they’re the same mum and dad that you remember. That was… a long time ago.”

Frowning, Armando looked towards Dante, who shrugged. “They can’t be that bad, Cisco. I mean it, I don’t think they are, no matter what’s happened between us.” He reached over and slapped Cisco in the shoulder with the back of his hand. “Besides, I would be able to know for myself if I ever get to see them. You’ve been keeping us away for a reason, aren’t you?”

Cisco shook his head. “I wasn’t lying when I told you they’re on a holiday. They don’t like being around this time of year.”

“What’s happened this time of year?” Dante asked, sitting up as well.

Rolling his eyes, Cisco copied his brother's action and waved his arm out at the landscape before them before hugging his hands to his chest. “You both died around this time. A couple months apart.” He tried to make his voice sound as emotionless as he could but wasn’t so sure if it worked. “Visiting your graves hurt too much so they just… take off on a holiday somewhere far away. I think this time it was Italy.”

“I understand that they need space and losing two children would be hard on anyone.” Armando began, sharing a look with Dante over Cisco’s back. “But instead of staying here with you and grieving, they’re spending time with each other on a holiday to Italy?”

“It’s not always Italy.” Cisco pointed out and ducked before the back of Dante’s hand could meet the side of his head. “They wanted something new. They’ve already gone to France and Grease, so Italy was the next best thing.”

“Oh, Paco, when you said you guys weren’t as close anymore I never thought it would be this bad.” Armando moaned into his hands. “You don’t even go with them on holidays! When was the last time you called them?”

Cisco shrugged. “I usually call them whenever I get the chance, but it always goes to voicemail. We haven’t really had a real conversation since the year Dante died and they certainly haven’t called me.” He shrugged. “It’s fine. I’ve gotten used to it. It’s not like I’m doing anything in particular that could pique their interest in me.”

Scoffing in outrage, Dante gripped Cisco’s shoulder so tightly that his fingers dug painfully into his skin. “You’re a superhero who just so happens to work with the Flash and you are employed at one of the most well-known science labs in Central City! Are you trying to tell me that they don’t care about any of that?”

Shoving him away, Cisco shook his head. “They don’t know any of that stuff. I don’t even think they know Vibe exists- they don’t watch the news all that much. And S.T.A.R Lab’s doesn’t exactly have the best reputation- not with all the things we’ve caused over the years.”

“Well…” Armando sighed, desperate to find light in a dark situation. “They’d probably stop shutting you out if they found out how much money you earned. I mean, for a job like this and all the work you do for these people you’d have to be paid a hefty sum, right? They can’t get mad at you for having a well-paying job.”

“It’ll be more than what I used to get, whatever it is.” Dante pointed out. “I hardly got paid at all and mum and dad never stopped loving me for it.”

Cisco rolled his eyes skyward and asked the gods why they had forced him into such a situation. “Yeah, well the funny thing is that I don’t get paid. Anything. At all. Sorry to disappoint, but Barry owns S.T.A.R now, and I wouldn’t expect him to pay me anything. I’m basically doing volunteer work at this point. But its ok, you know, I enjoy doing it all and I would honestly be doing it with or without the pay anyway, except this way I get a nice place to do it at.”

Armando spluttered and choked on his spit. “How do you even _live_?” Dante asked, eyes wide and disbelieving. “I mean, you haven’t been paid for so many years and you’re still alive with a home to stay in and everything?”

“I get by.” Cisco shrugged. “It’s no trouble.”

What Cisco didn’t notice through his explanation to Dante’s panicked questions was Armando stiffening beside him, his torso wound as taut as a coiled spring, and his eyes fixed firmly on the landscape before them. “I’ll be right back.” He announced as he stood and made his way back down the entrance hatch to the roof and into the interior of S.T.A.R Labs with his clenched fists hidden in his pockets.

It took Cisco a while before he noticed the absence of his other brother in it’s entirely and realized just how long he had been gone for. “He’s not coming back, is he?” He asked no one in particular as he leapt to his feet to follow. Dante stretched his arm out in an attempt to grab his ankle but with Cisco’s line of profession you had to be fast on your feet and Cisco was very good at dodging.

When Cisco finally made it downstairs with Dante hot on his heels, he watched Armando shove Barry against the wall with his arm under his throat and the other pushing his shoulder hard into the wall behind. Cisco wanted to rush forward and stop the interaction but before he could say anything, Dante kicked him in the shin and the pain made him choke on his words before his brother put a hand over his mouth and dragged his back around the corner. Dante hushed him as Cisco tried to protest and reluctantly, Cisco fell silent.

“Paco tells me you’re not paying him,” Armando said, voice even but Cisco knew that exact tone of voice was used on Los Lobos members who strayed out of line and knew just how scary to be on the receiving end of that stare. “I don’t think that’s fair, especially considering all the work he does for you.”

They were alone, Iris and Caitlin obviously having left already, but Barry didn’t seem that worried to have a much larger man’s arm pressed against his throat. Cisco was relieved to note that while Armando was threatening, he wasn’t hurting Barry. “I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve it,” Barry said. “But I own this place now and it’s hard enough keeping it running with the money that Thawne left to me.”

“You have a job outside of being the Flash, yeah?” Armando leaned closer to Barry’s face and Dante struggled to hold Cisco back from where they were hiding behind the wall. “You have other ways to make money? Caitlin did as well before she came to work here and Killer Frost has apparently been making money on the side. Iris is a journalist. This is all Cisco has. This is his life- his only source of income and he isn’t’ even getting paid for his time.”

Barry, wisely, stayed silent.

“But you see,” Armando continued, ignoring Barry’s raised eyebrow. “Regardless of the pay Cisco doesn’t get, he still comes into work every day and puts in his all, right? No matter what, he doesn’t complain and he gets the job done. He risks his life for you whenever you call on him and still, he follows you like a lost puppy because he cares about this more than he should and every day he doesn’t get any sort of compensation or reward.”

Cisco bit and the meat of his brother’s hand and Dante yanked it away from his mouth with a quiet hiss of pain. Cisco grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back around into the room that broke off from the hallway and ducked behind the door. The room was thankfully empty, but they now they were close enough to hear but far enough away to avoid detection. “I’m going to kill him,” Cisco muttered under his breath as Dante laughed softly.

“Now, I’m not saying you don't care for Cisco, because otherwise, you wouldn’t have let him work here this whole time,” Armando said, dropping the arm around Barry’s throat to rest his hand on the opposite shoulder. “But what I am saying is that pay or no pay, if my little brother is not treated with the respect he deserves, and soon, we are going to have a problem.” He stepped away from Barry and despite being a superhero who has the Speed Force running through his veins, Barry breathed a sigh of relief. “Do not take his kindness for weakness, otherwise this fancy lab of yours is going to mean nothing.”

As Armando strolled away down the hallway with his hands in his pockets, Cisco reached out from where he had taken refuge within the room and pulled his brother into it. “Are you insane?” He hissed once the door had slammed shut behind him. “You can’t just go around and threatening all my friends because you don’t like something!”

“They treat you like shit here Paco!” Armando retorted, hands clenched at his side. “You don’t have to be a scientist to see that! They treat you like a lap dog that comes at their every beck and call!”

“They’re my friends Mando!” Cisco shouted, gripping his hair tightly. “I don’t care about any of that because they’re my friends and I’ll do anything they ask! Because that’s what friends do!”

“You’ve never been a pushover, Cisco.” Armando paced the room as he struggled to keep his anger internalised. “I don’t know what’s changed since I died but something has and I don’t know if I like it.” Dante grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back as Armando began to subconsciously lean forward into Cisco’s face, an old habit left over from the years of dealing with Los Lobos. “You’ve always been the smart one between us, Paco. This is never what I wanted for you. Never what any of us wanted.”

Cisco leaned against the wall, a sad smile playing at his lips, and he met his brother’s eyes. “To be happy?” Armando’s breath caught in his throat. “Come on, Mando. Sure, I don’t get paid and nobody really knows the good I do for the city, but it makes me happy. All this-” he waved his hand around the room and the shelving units filled with unfinished and abandoned projects. “I made all this. I make things to protect my friends and save lives. I get to go out every day and play a superhero- just like when we were kids. I build everyone’s suits and I help stitch everyone up when they come home bleeding. This might not have been what you wanted for me, Mando, but I’m glad it happened because I haven’t been this happy in a long time.”

Before Armando could reply, could apologise in some way to make up for the hurtful things he’d said, Cisco’s phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out, glancing at it confused. When he read the message, he sighed and pinched his nose. “Mum and dad are home from their holiday.” He closed his eyes. “I can probably take you there tomorrow if you’d like, but I don’t know how good of an idea it is. They think your both dead and seeing us all there might just make them lose their shit.”

“I think I’ll be good,” Dante said, determined. “I think that if we’re there together, it might make us feel more like a family again. And maybe we can get you guys close like you used to be before everything went down.” At Cisco’s raised eyebrow and suspicious look, he shrugged. “What? It worked for us. We’re fixing things and we’re closer than we were before I died.”

Armando nodded. “They’re strong. They’ll be able to handle seeing their two dead children alive again. I know they will.”

“Alright,” Cisco agreed, though very reluctantly. “We’ll head down tomorrow. But now, I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. Let’s go and see what we can do for lunch.” He turned towards the door but turned back at the last second before he exited the room. “Oh, and Mando?” he winked. “All is forgiven. It’s probably about time someone stood up to Barry anyway.”

Together, they went to the cafeteria and made themselves ready to meet their parents in the morning after months- or years- of being apart.


End file.
